Apparatus for coiling wire or the like



Oct. 41, 1940. c. o. BRuEsTLE APPARATUS F,0R COILING WIRE 0R THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1`o, 193e 5 Sheets-Sheet l LAM/2.5 0

W/RE

Y E N R O ummm 25 Shams-Sheet 2 Get. 1, 1940. c. o. BRUESTALE APPARATUS FOR COILING WIRE 0R THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10, 19:58

ROTH THBLE PART C. O. BRUESTLE APPARATUS Fon ooLING WIRE 0R THE: LIKE Oct. l, 1940.

Filed Aug. 10, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNE Y .55 rotated.

Patented Oct. l, 1940 UNITED sTATEs APPARATUS FOR CGILING WIRE B THE cari o. Brocade, Runway, N. J., minor to Elevator Supplies Company,

Incorporated,

Rahway, J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 10, 1938, Serial No. 224,037

8 Claims.

IThis invention relates to apparatus lfor coiling wire or the like, and provides improvements therein.

lin the wire industry, wire of the larger sizes,

d as it comesfrom the wire drawing machine is usually such that it can lbe handled by manpower. These coils are largely re-used in other wire drawing machines for drawing the smaller t size wires. They are also a commodity, meeting the requirements of the market for bundles of limited weight, wire length, etc. This practice ci ceiling the wire from the wire drawing machines into coils of limited weight is generally foldd lowed, despite the recognized disadvantage of having to stop the machines after the completion ci each coil. The stopping time is as much and usually considerably more than the running time. The present invention provides an improved ttl' apparatus for coiling wire or the like which is continuous. lit can, therefore, be used in an iinmediate succession to a wire drawing machine, without the necessity of repeated stopping and starting of the wire drawing machine. The wire :it irom the wire drawing machine can be wound into coils or coil-bundles of desired weight and wirelength, and removed, one after another, while the ceiling apparatus runscontinuously.

rlit has heretofore been proposed to coil wire ad continuously, removing the coils or coil-bundles one after another irom the coiling apparatus, but such proposals, ci which I know, leave much to he desired in the way of a satisfactory, ecient, sate and reliable apparatus.

The present invention provides an apparatus for continuously coiling wire or the likey which has been demonstrated to operate successfully .and satisfactorily to coil wire, which is strong and safe, and which operates efficiently and reliably.

45 In the coiling of wire, a high tension is imparted to the wire by the wire guide which revolves around the stationary drum on which the Wire is coiled or wound. The stationary drum is sup--v ported with one end free so that the coils can be 50 removed from `and over its free end. The aforesaid Winding tension produces a strong pull on the drum tendingto rotate it, and it has been a problem to sustain such pull adequately and satisfactorily, and prevent the' drum from being The present invention meets this problem satisfactorily and eiectively, the drum being secured against the pull of wire under high tension, while at the same time, coils wound on the drummay be eiliciently and successively removed from the drum while the winding and coiling of the wire on the drum continues.l

The invention further provides novel and ad-4 vantageous structural arrangements and combinations hereinafter pointed out.

Two embodiments oi the invention are illusl0 trated in the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, have other embodiments than those herein specifically illustrated and de scribed.

Referring to said drawings:

Fig. l is a View in side elevation of one em bodiment.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a part oi the structure illustrated in Fig. l. v

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of certain parts, in cluding the wire guide, shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. i and 5 are respectively an. end elevation, and a top plan View of the drum and parts associated therewith for holding it against rotation under the pull oi the wire winding thereon.

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive are diagrammatic views showing the coil at diderent stages of winding and removal. l

Figs. 1l. and l2 illustrateparts of a second em- 30 bodiment, and showing the drum and certain .asil sociated parts in side elevation andtopplan view respectively. l

Fig. 13 is a sectional view illustrating in gr "at detail the mounting of theroller ti, Fig. 3.,

Referring to said drawings, z iumeraiv4 lll, 'desi` nates a stationarydrum-having a winding-on portion li, and numeral it a rotary part having a Wire guide l5 thereon, which revolves, when` the rotary part i4 is rotated, around the winding-on 40 portion l2 of the drum, coiling or winding` the wire inV successive spirals thereon.

, The drum may be supported at one end, as ndicated at l1, its other end i8 being free, so that wire coils may pass oil from the drum, and be removed, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The rotary part `Mis rotatably supported in a suitable frame 20. As shown the frame 20 supports the drum I0 and rotary part i4 in a vertical position. This is advantageous, though the arrangement as to position may. be otherwise.

In the illustrated form of embodiment, the rotary part I4 comprises a' frame 22 of suitable construction, turning' in suitable bearings. The

rotaryframe advantageously comprises an axial sleeve 30, mounted in bearings 3|, 32 on the staa sheave 45 turning on a pin 46 mounted on a bracket 48 fastened to the frame 22 of the rotary part I4. The bracket 48 is advantageously a swivel connection to the frame 22. As here shown this may comprise a plate having a pin 52 which ts in a hub 53 on the frame 22, and which pin may be fastened in different positions of adjustment by suitable meansas a nut 54 and a set-screw 55. The bracket 48 is also advantageously adjustable as to its angular position. This angular adjustment may be provided by means of a slot 51 in the bracket 48 and bolts 58 and 59 passing through the plate 5| and bracket 48. This adjustablity of the lsheave 45 facilitates the running of the wire onto the sheave and from the sheave onto the winding-on portion I2 of the drum |0 at good angles. An auxiliary roller 62 is advantageously employed as a part of the wire-guide. This auxiliary roller,as here shown, may be mounted on an arm 64 fastened or forming part of the rotary frame 22. The advantage of the auxiliary roller 62 is that it enables the sheave 45 tobe located closer to the axis of rotation of the rotary Apart I4 than would be the case without the auxiliary roller.- Another advantage of the roller 62 is that by its-use` the diameter of the spiral of the wire may be varied. By substituting rollers of different diameter the diameter of the spiral may be made greater or less, and the closeness with which the spirals, due to their form, hug or engage the winding-on portion I2, varied.

`The same thing may be accomplished by extending the roller 62 toward or away from the axis of rotation of the rotary part I4, as shown in Fig. 13. This extension may be accomplished by mounting the roller 62 on a stud 65 which has an eccentrif-.nin 66 which may be turned in a hole 61 in am; mi, to adjust the position of the roller 62, as just described. Means as a nut 68 and set-screw 69 may be provided for holding the pin 66 in a position of adjustment. 'Ihe sheave 45, however, may be so arranged that the wire runs directly from the sheave onto the winding-on portion I2 of the drum.

The wire is shown as entering the coiling apparatus at the lower right-hand side of Fig. 1.

-The wire may becoming directly from a wire drawing machine running continuously, or from a reel. In passing to the drum lI0, the Wire, as here shown, may be led over a sheave 10, then over a sheave 12, which latter sheave has its periphery arranged tangentially to the axis of the bore 14 of the sleeve 30. The wire leaving the sheave 12 passes through the bore 14, then over a sheave 16 on the frame 22 of the rotary part, and thence to the sheave 45 of the wire guide I5. From the sheave 45, the wire may either pass directly to the windingfon'portion of the drum I2, or as here shown, over the auxiliary roller 62 and thence tangentially on to the winding-on portion I2 of the drum I0 as shown in Fig. 3. The wire passes around the windingon portion I2 of the drum, in a sufficient number ofspirals to provide a frictional resistance to the tension which is imparted to the wire by the revolving wire guide. The winding-on spirals of wire force those ahead of them oil' of the winding-on portion |2 of the drum, and the spirals accumulate on the part of the drum beyond the winding-on portion |2, where coils or bundles are built up, and from whence the coils or bundles are removed, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The wire which is bundled is usually a relatively thick or heavy wire, and the rotation of the rotary'part I4 which carries the wire guide I5, tensions the wire highly and this results in a strong pull of the wire on the drum I0, tending to rotate it. Strong and firm means are required to resist the tendency of the drum I0 to turn.

The drum I0 is advantageously supported by the rotary part I4, but in a manner that the drum I0 is stationary while the rotary part I4 rotates. As here shown, the drum I0 has fastened thereto a shaft 80, whichshaft 80 projects into a tubular part 82 of the rotary frame 22. Bearings 83, 84 are provided between the shaft 80 and the tubular part 82 of the frame 22, the bearings 83, 84, preferably being ball bearings, so that the rotary frame 22 and its tubular part 82 may turn with a minimum of resistance on the shaft 80. In the form of embodiment illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, the axial support (shaft 80 and tubular-part 82) could be omitted.

For sustaining the pull of thewire on the drum I0, a plurality of detents 90, 92 are provided for engaging the drum and holding it against rotation. The detents, as here shown, are advantageously in the form of jaws |00, IOI having at faces |02, and the drum |0` is provided with fiat faces |05, |06, or grooves having flat faces I05E, |06, adapted to be engaged by the jaws |00, IOI of the detents 90, 92, each jaw being capable of strongly, adequately and reliably resisting the high tension of the wire exerted as a pull on the drum I0 tending to rotate the drum. The detents are suitably supported on the frame 20, and are arranged so as to be movable into and out of engagement with the drum, and are also spaced apart longitudinally of the drum I8 a distance sufficient to accommodate the number of spirals which it is desired to build into a coil or bundle of wire, or to feed oi at one time.

The detents 90, 92 are also preferably provided with shelves |09, |I0. The detents, jaws and shelves are advantageously in the form of a plate having wide portions around the jaw-recesses. The shelves |09, I|0 in a vertical machine act to support the coils in a horizontal position. Suitable guideways |I5, II6 on frame 20, on which the detents are slidable provide means for slidably supporting the detents 90, 92.

Suitable means for moving the detents 90, 92 into and out of engagement With the drum III may be provided. These means, as here shown, may comprise motors ||8 and I I9 having a driving connection with the detents through pinions |2| and racks |23.

The arrangement and mode of operation oi' the detents 90, 92 is such that the detents may be moved alternately into and out of engagement with the drum I0. When, for example the detent 90, which isnearest the Winding-on portion I2 of the drum is moved out of engagement with the drum, the coil resting above it on the shelf |09, can drop or move down toward the end of the drum, as far as the next detent 92 and come torest on the shelf IIO thereon. The detent 90v detent 92 is withdrawn. 'Iwo detents 90, 92 are of detents than the two showncan be used.

sufficient to allow 4the removal of a coil, while securely vand strongly resisting the tendency of the drum I to turn,V though a greater'number In'I'l'ie coils, instead of forming individual and complete coils, may be increments which go to forma large coil oir-the'coiling machine. The coils in the machine then would not be cut, and ordinarily the accumulation on the top shelf l would beless, andthe movement of thedetents and shelvesfaster so as to pass oi the accumlulations (coil, increments) more rapidly.

Inpractice, the alternate `movements of' the detents 90, 92 is eie'cted automatically through suitable control means (not shown), which act to energize the motors II8, |`|9 at-v proper times,

in proper zsequence, and in the proper direction,

' to eiect themovements of the detents 90, 3.2 re'- lated to the removal of a coil from the drum I0,

` already described.

, In theembodiment illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 each detent may be formedascomplemental parts 90, 90b, 92, 92". These' complemental .parts 90, 92a, and 90b, 92bare arranged to move toward and from the drum I0 from opposite sides, as shown in Figs. 1l and 12. The jaw parts I 90a, -90bmay be moved by one motor I I8, into and out of engagement with the drum I|l,in` opposite directions, by suitable means as an endlessf chain |25. Similar movement is imparted to the c omplemental parts 92a, 92b of the detent 92 from motor I I9 through an endless chain |21. The sequence of operation of the parts 90a, 90b of the detents 90, andthe parts 92a, 92b of the detent 92 are essentially the sameas that of the detents in `the simpler form, already described.` The complemental jawparts 90B, 90b, 92B, 92b also act to hold the drum against movement longitudinally and laterally of its axis, and thereby may serve to both support the drum and hold it against rotation.

With the drum I0 arranged with its .axis vertical as shown in the drawings, it is advantageous to provide means to maintain at -all times a certain or minimum number of wraps or. spirals of the wire on the Winding-on portion I2 of the drum. Suitable means for this purpose.' ashere shown, may have the form of one or more Yflanged rollers |30, two being here shown." These -flanged 'rollers |3||l may be mounted on arms |33, pivotally mounted ona part attachedl to the rotary frame 22, as for example a bracket arm |35 V on the arm 64 which is yattached to the said frame, and a bracket arm |31 attached to the said frame 22. Springs |40', -act` to draw the flanged rollers |30 toward thewindingon poruns tion I2 ofthe drum, and against the wire thereon. The position ofthe flanged rollers |30 with relation to the longitudinal axis of the drum `I0 may Abe, and preferably is, made adjustable.

|45 in one directionor the other, the height of the flanged roller. |30 vmay bechanged or adjusted. The number of Wraps or'spirals of wire on the winding-on portion I2 of the drum. may

be regulated by the height or adjustment of the anged rollers |30.

' Qperation A strand of wire from a wire drawing machine,

(or it may be from a large reel ofA wire) enters the coiling apparatus and is led over suitable guiding means to the revolvable wire guide I5. As here shown, the wire at first passes over a sheave 10, then over a sheave 12, from which it passes into the rotary part I4 in line with the axis of rotation of. said rotary part. 'I'he ro- -tary part I4 has a bore 14 through its sleeve` 30, through which the wire passes.

After passing through the bore 14, the wire runs to the sheave '45 of the revolvable wire guide I5 being guided by the sheave 16 at the point where it departs from alinement with the axis of the said .rotary part I4. Fromthe sheave 45 the wire passes to the winding-on portion I2 of the drum I0, either directly `or around `the auxiliary roller 62. In operation, the rotary-part I4 is rotated continu- `ously (by motor through shaft 3B and gears the wire-drawing machine or reel from which the supply of wire is obtained. In this winding operation there is a very vconsiderable'tension produced on the wire, which is manifested as a strong pull on the drum I0 tending to rotate it. In starting the machine an end of the Wire is s fastened to the drum I0 so as to be able to resist 4the Winding-on portionA I2 of the drum, to enable the wire to resist the pull incident to the revolution of the wire guide |5 around the drum.

The flanged rollers |30 provide a meansl for supporting a desired number of wraps or spirals of the Wire on the winding-on portion I2, in a vertical type of apparatus, or otherwise, where necessary or desired. v

As the wire is wound `on the winding-on portion I2, the successive spirals push those ahead of them. The lowermost spiral on the windingon portion I2 is pushed or `falls by gravity on to the portion II of the drum, and the successive spirals on the portion II, are stopped by the shelf |09 of the detent 90, where they accumulate in a coll of the kind desired (wire-length, weight, etc.).

When the flanged rollers |30 for supporting the spirals on the Winding-onportion I2 of the drum are employed, the spirals pass on to the portion II of theY drum between two of'the flanged rollers |30.

When a coil of the desired kind or size is accumulated on the shelf |09, the detent 30 `is moved out of engagement with the drum I0. This allows the coil to drop onto the shelf ||0 of the detent 32. This positionis illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. When the coil is dropped on to the shelf IIU, the detent 30 is moved back into engagement with the drum l0, whereupon.

the formation of a new coil on the shelf |09 begins. This position is shown in Fig. '7. While the completed coil is resting on the shelf IIO, a tie I I3, as a piece of wire may be fastened around the coil to bind the spirals together. At the same time the str'and of wire which connects the coil to the new coil may be severed, as at the point X, Fig. 7. The completed coil on the shelf IIO may then be removed by moving the detent 92 out of engagement with the drum I0. At this time the drum is maintained against rotation by the detent 90. When the detent 92 is moved out of engagement the coil drops or is removed from the drum, passing off the free end of the drum, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. After the completed coil has been removed the detent 92 is moved back into engagement with the drum I0. This position is shown in Fig. 9. Meanwhile the coil on shelf |09 has been forming, and when the desired size has been reached, the detent is moved out of engagement with the drum I0, and the coil falls on to the shelf III). This position is shown in Fig. 10, 'and is the same position shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 6 to 10 therefore illustrate one cycle in the forming and removal of the coils, with the beginning of the next cycle (Fig. l0) All of this occurs while the wire guide I5 operates continuously to wind wire on the drum III.

The coils which are removed, instead of con.- stituting separate or complete coils, may go t'o form increments of a large coil, as previously described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for coiling wire and the like, i

comprising a vertical stationary drum, having a winding-on portion, a rotary part and a wireguide thereon revolvable around the windingmoved alternately into and out of such engagement, so that when the detent jaw nearest the winding-on portion of the drum is moved out of engagement the coil above it can move as far as the next detent jaw and thereafter thel out-ofengagement detent jaw moved back again into l engagement with the drum and the succeeding detent jaw moved out of engagement with the drum, whereupon the coil which was detained by it can move along toward the end of the drum and off from it and the detent jaw moved back again into engagement with the drum.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detent-jaws comprise shelves on which the coils may rest while they accumulate on the drum.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1I wherein said detents comprise slides having Jaws and shelves, and further comprising guidefways fdr said detents substantially at right angles to the axis of said drum in which said detents are slidable to bring said jaws into and out of engagement with said drum.

4.' Apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for retaining a number of spirals of the wire on the winding-on portion.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for retaining spirals of wire on the winding-on portion and meansl for adjusting the vertical position of said spiral-retaining means to vary the number of spirals held in said winding-on portion.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detents each comprise complementary parts constructed and arranged to move into and out of engagement with said drum from opposite sides thereof.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detents each comprise complementary jaws constructed and arranged to move into and out of engagement with said drum from opposite sides thereof. l

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotary part comprises a sleeve in line with its axis of rotation, and a bearing for said sleeve, the wire passing to said'wire guide through said sleeve.

CARL O. BRUES'I'LE. 

